City receives legislative update; council told to expect bills affecting housing, short-term rentals and building codes

City lobbyist Jonathan Clay of JGC Government Relations gave the Encinitas City Council an overview of the 2025 California legislative session, identifying roughly 270 bills the firm is tracking that may affect the city. Clay highlighted several bills of particular relevance to local land-use and housing policy and to municipal administration.

Bills flagged by JGC included SB 79 (transit-oriented development authority for transit agencies), SB 677 (an update to the SB 9 lot-splitting law), SB 346 (online platforms and short-term rental parcel reporting) and AB 306 (proposed changes to building standards in the context of post-disaster rebuilding). Clay also noted bills and hearings on the Brown Act and public records, including provisions around public records response during cyberattacks.

Why it matters: The bills discussed could change how cities regulate housing density, respond to short-term rental reporting and adopt new building standards; many will generate constituent interest. City staff will return to council later with recommended legislative positions and to ask for direction on specific bills.

Council context: Councilmembers asked about which local sites could be affected by Scott Wiener’s transit-oriented legislation (asked about NCTD right-of-way and Caltrans property) and about how state budget stress following recent disasters could change state-local funding flows. Jonathan Clay said the state may face a special session later in the year and flagged potential impacts to transportation and human services funding.

Next steps: Staff and the city’s contract lobbying team will continue evaluating bills and bring an updated legislative priorities memo back to council for direction; the city’s legislative tracking information will be posted on the city website.